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US didn't get their ass into the space race until Sputnik went BIP BIP BIP around the world. I imagine an event of similiar magnitude will be required for the US to gets it's act together.

Frankly, IMO those events *have* happened and the US simply failed to respond in any meaningful way... so my estimation is that my history professor's belief (in the late 70s) that the US was pivoting into decline was actually on target. Politicians are afraid to confront the sea change... and the corporations that own them are moving overseas and simply trying to avoid picking up the bill for fixing the mess they themselves mostly created.

My energy is just focused on trying to make sure my family has options ...

Looks like China is attempting to catch up the fast way. Though to be fair, they don't need to go through all the steps the Americans and Russians did...since the Americans and Russians proved it works already.

Frankly, IMO those events *have* happened and the US simply failed to respond in any meaningful way... so my estimation is that my history professor's belief (in the late 70s) that the US was pivoting into decline was actually on target. Politicians are afraid to confront the sea change... and the corporations that own them are moving overseas and simply trying to avoid picking up the bill for fixing the mess they themselves mostly created.

My energy is just focused on trying to make sure my family has options ...

I'd say your professor was wrong when he said it in the 70s. The 90s were good times for the US, despite having some issues. The cold war was won, and the US was largely unchallenged on the world stage. Though lately, he might not be so off. On that note:

Geithner said he would have to suspend investments in federal retirement funds until Aug. 2 in order to create room for the government to continue borrowing in the debt markets.

The funds will be made whole once the debt limit is increased, Geithner said. "Federal retirees and employees will be unaffected by these actions."

He went on to urge Congress once again to raise the country's legal borrowing limit soon "to protect the full faith and credit of the United States and avoid catastrophic economic consequences for citizens."

Congress, meanwhile, is not showing any signs of budging. Many Republicans and some Democrats say they won't raise it unless Congress and President Obama agree to significant spending cuts and other ways to curb debt. (Social Security and Medicare squeezed)

Geithner told Congress that he estimates he has enough legal hoop-jumping tricks to cover them for another 11 weeks or so.

But then he said that's it. If lawmakers don't get it together by Aug. 2, the United States will no longer be able to pay its bills in full.

KUALA LUMPUR: Israeli naval forces fired warning shots at a Malaysian ship carrying aid to Gaza as it approached the shore yesterday morning, before Egyptian vessels came to their rescue and escorted the boat to safer waters.

The MV Finch is now on its way to the Egyptian port of El-Arish, according to Bernama journalist Mohd Faizal Hassan who was on board the ship.

All 12 people on the vessel which was carrying 7.5km of PVC sewage pipes to help restore the devastated sewerage system in Gaza will now use the land route to accomplish their humanitarian aid mission.

Of those on board, seven are Malaysians, including skipper Capt Jalil Mansor. The others are two crewmen from India, humanitarian activists Derek and Jenny Graham from Ireland, and Julie Levesque from Canada.

Faizal, who filed his report through calls and short messaging service (SMS) to the Bernama headquarters a few hours after the incident, said the incident occurred at 6.05am local time (1.05am Malaysian time).

The ship, sponsored by the Perdana Global Peace Foundation (PGPF), was tailed by the Israeli boats for about 30 minutes before four warning shots were fired.

Faizal said one shot almost hit crew member Mohd Jaffery Ariffin, causing the others to seek cover.

“The Israelis asked us to stop the ship and withdraw to Egyptian waters. We managed to radio the Egyptian army for help,” he said.

Faizal said New Straits Times journalist Alang Bendahara managed to capture a video recording of Israel's cruel action towards them.

“They were using anti-aircraft .50mm shells,” he said.

Upon realising the presence of Egyptian naval forces, the Israelis departed.

PGPF representative in Jordan, Tan Sri Dr Samsudin Hitam, told Bernama in Amman yesterday that the vessel was still in Egyptian waters and was expected to dock at El-Arish when given the green light by the authorities.

Dr Samsudin said the journey by land to Gaza would take about three hours and most likely lorries would be used to transport the PVC sewage pipes and the members of the mission.

“Any Israeli military action on an unarmed vessel transporting humanitarian assistance will deepen the international community's negative perception of Israel and also demonstrate Israel's total indifference to its international obligations in defiance of world opinion,” he said in a statement here.

In Kuching, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the whole world should condemn the latest cruel action by Israel.

He said the action of Israeli naval forces was inhumane and against the interests of the United Nations, reported RINTOS MAIL.

The ship was on a humanitarian mission and of no threat to the Israeli regime, Muhyiddin added.

“The Malaysian Government condemns the action and the whole world should do so as well,” he said at a press conference here yesterday.

I wonder why the aid ship didn't inform the Israeli navy in advance before shipping stuff. If they didn't they certainly deserved to be sunk - obviously the New Straits Times journalist is selling news by omitting whether the Israeli navy was informed of the shipment.

(Reuters) - Billionaire financier George Soros, who called gold "the ultimate bubble," dumped almost his entire $800 million stake in bullion in the first quarter, well before a commodities slump blamed partly on reports he was liquidating his holdings.

Famed gold bull John Paulson held his ground, but Soros was joined in the retreat by several other big names, including

Eric Mindich and Paul Touradji, according to 13-F filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that provide the best insight into where hedge funds are placing their bets.

Soros, who has been bullish on gold in the past several years, cut his holdings in the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD.P) to just $6.9 million by the end of first quarter, compared with $655 million in December, becoming the most high-profile investors to turn his back on one of the market's best-performing assets.

He also liquidated a 5 million share stake in the iShares Gold Trust (IAU.P), the filings showed. His total holdings in gold-backed ETFs was $774 million as of December.

Gold rose for a tenth consecutive quarter in the three months to March, hitting record highs above $1,400 an ounce, buoyed by political turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa and lingering worries about indebted European countries.

The gains accelerated in April, but peaked at the start of this month, reaching a record $1,575 an ounce on May 2.

Prices have since fallen more than 5 percent amid the biggest commodities slump since late 2008, a move partly triggered by a Wall Street Journal report that Soros' $28 billion fund was selling precious metals -- and felling fears other big funds were also seeing a peak.

Eric Mindich, who runs the Eton Park Capital Management, nearly halved his stake in the SPDR gold trust to $326 million for the first quarter, a filing showed on Monday.

Mindich's fund also owned $839 million worth of call options by the end of first quarter, compared with $1.1 billion worth of put options at the end of the fourth quarter.

Touradji Capital Management, one of the world's largest commodities-oriented hedge funds run by Paul Touradji sold 173,000 shares in the SPDR Gold Trust during the quarter. Those shares would be worth about $25 million at current prices.

But John Paulson, who notched the industry's biggest ever payout last year, kept his 31.5 million share or $4.4 billion stake in the SPDR fund, remaining the biggest shareholder of the world's largest gold-backed exchange traded fund for the quarter, according to regulatory filings.

DEFLATION THREAT RECEDES

The sales make sense given that Soros said he had bought gold because he was worried about deflation, said Mark Luschini, chief investment strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott in Pittsburgh.

"It's pretty hard to make the case for deflation right now so if that was a reason you were buying gold, you should take this signal from Soros," he said.

Inflation is now the greater concern, Luschini said. So most investors should still keep about 3 percent to 5 percent of their assets in gold to protect against inflation and possible further problems in the world financial system.

Soros also slashed stakes in gold and silver mining companies during the first quarter. The firm owned 1.4 million shares of Kinross Gold (K.TO) at the end of the quarter, down from 4 million shares three months earlier. Holdings in Novagold Resources (NG.TO) dropped to 3.5 million shares from 12.9 million.

Gold ended the first quarter little changed, as the spot gold prices were only $10 higher to end at $1,430 an ounce on March 31, and the SPDR Gold Trust was up 1.3 percent.

In the second quarter, gold hit a record high $1,575.79 an ounce on May 2 fueled by the outlook of low U.S. interest rates.

So far in the second quarter, SPDR Gold Trust's bullion holdings gained only about 1 percent to 1,229 tonnes as of Friday, well below its record high at 1,320.436 tonnes set on June 29 last year.

Institutional investment managers are required to file form 13-F with the SEC within 45 days after the end of each quarter.

Smart move. If he buys into gold, then gold would certainly become the next huge bubble. But it did anyway.

__________________

When three puppygirls named after pastries are on top of each other, it is called Eclair a'la menthe et Biscotti aux fraises avec beaucoup de Ricotta sur le dessus.
Most of all, you have to be disciplined and you have to save, even if you hate our current financial system. Because if you don't save, then you're guaranteed to end up with nothing.

The .50 inch round is not a shell. It is a bullet, and it is from a heavy machine gun. It is kind of interesting that their journalists are factose intolerant as their politicians running their ministries.

To nitpick, why do they choose the sea route when the land route is much safer and less likely to put the crew and cargo in danger? It seems that these people are deliberately driving the ship down there to provoke a response and demonise Israel.

__________________

When three puppygirls named after pastries are on top of each other, it is called Eclair a'la menthe et Biscotti aux fraises avec beaucoup de Ricotta sur le dessus.
Most of all, you have to be disciplined and you have to save, even if you hate our current financial system. Because if you don't save, then you're guaranteed to end up with nothing.

“The Israelis asked us to stop the ship and withdraw to Egyptian waters. We managed to radio the Egyptian army for help,” he said.

followed by :

Quote:

Upon realising the presence of Egyptian naval forces, the Israelis departed.

they admit that they were asked to return to Egyptian waters.
and then make it seem like "thankfully, the brave Egyptian navy came and scared the evil Israelis off" later on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

To nitpick, why do they choose the sea route when the land route is much safer and less likely to put the crew and cargo in danger? It seems that these people are deliberately driving the ship down there to provoke a response and demonise Israel.

thats exactly the point.
there is more "Aid" going into Gaza every week through land then a ship of that size could possibly carry in a year, and Egypt's apperently more then willing to let them send their stuff in through the Rafah crossing.
they try by sea because the whole POINT is provocation.

PGPF representative in Jordan, Tan Sri Dr Samsudin Hitam, told Bernama in Amman yesterday that the vessel was still in Egyptian waters and was expected to dock at El-Arish when given the green light by the authorities.

Here. Wouldn't it be easier to dock there? The Egyptians are willing to help them anyway.

Quote:

Dr Samsudin said the journey by land to Gaza would take about three hours and most likely lorries would be used to transport the PVC sewage pipes and the members of the mission.

And here. They COULD ship it through land. Why do they want to go by sea where it is a conflict zone?

Quote:

In Kuching, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the whole world should condemn the latest cruel action by Israel.

He said the action of Israeli naval forces was inhumane and against the interests of the United Nations, reported RINTOS MAIL.

The ship was on a humanitarian mission and of no threat to the Israeli regime, Muhyiddin added.

“The Malaysian Government condemns the action and the whole world should do so as well,” he said at a press conference here yesterday.

If they are inhumane, by naval defense doctrine, they would have put in a couple of lightweight torpedoes and get S-13 to raid the ship. It suspiciously looks like a government sanctioned attempt to provoke a response.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ithekro

Funny considering Egypt is also supporting the blockade.

It is a political response against Iran - who would be sending the Al-Quds to protect the ships if Israel is the only one to enforce the blockade, which would then ignite a three-way war with the Sunni Muslims. When the Muslim states aren't condemning Israel, they will be fighting each other, remember?

__________________

When three puppygirls named after pastries are on top of each other, it is called Eclair a'la menthe et Biscotti aux fraises avec beaucoup de Ricotta sur le dessus.
Most of all, you have to be disciplined and you have to save, even if you hate our current financial system. Because if you don't save, then you're guaranteed to end up with nothing.

Mindful that the UN and most nations are opposed to the blockade (now going on its fouth year) for various reasons. Many based on newer laws that Israel never signed, or based on assumption on what Gaza under Hamas is or isn't.

The United States supports the blockade on the historical level, but has called for Israel to let up on it seeing it as not a sustainable solution.

Egypt has lessed its part of the land blackade under pressure, but still enforces other parts of the blockade.

Israel's problem is Hamas. This means that Palastines problem is also Hamas. Hamas goes, and all likelihood the Blockade goes too.

Mindful that the UN and most nations are opposed to the blockage (now going on its fouth year) for various reasons. Many based on newer laws that Israel never signed, or based on assumption on what Gaza under Hamas is or isn't.

The United States supports the blockade on the historical level, but has called for Israel to let up on it seeing it as not a sustainable solution.

Egypt has lessed its part of the land blackade under pressure, but still enforces other parts of the blockade.

Israel's problem is Hamas. This means that Palastines problem is also Hamas. Hamas goes, and all likelihood the Blockade goes too.

Hamas isn't going for a long time. As long as there is an Israel to fight, they will be there brainwashing Palestine kids instead of letting them go to school, build up the Palestine economy and buy up Israel, just like how China is buying up US and Russia now.

Somehow, it seems that Malaysia is still being governed by a bunch of racist retards who are throwing chaff like that to divert domestic attention away from their failing economy and inherently racist political structure. It is seriously time for them to wake up their idea, I don't want an Afghanistan at my doorstep.

__________________

When three puppygirls named after pastries are on top of each other, it is called Eclair a'la menthe et Biscotti aux fraises avec beaucoup de Ricotta sur le dessus.
Most of all, you have to be disciplined and you have to save, even if you hate our current financial system. Because if you don't save, then you're guaranteed to end up with nothing.

I'd say your professor was wrong when he said it in the 70s. The 90s were good times for the US, despite having some issues. The cold war was won, and the US was largely unchallenged on the world stage. Though lately, he might not be so off. On that note:

He spoke in terms of decades and centuries... not just a piddling few years. He said it was kind of like the date assigned to when Rome "fell", no one really noticed it at the time, it was almost a century before it was obvious to the whole of Europe. Henry Kissinger basically felt/feels the same way ... it was one of the many underlying factors in Nixon (his president) going to China to get in front of the line to open up relations.